No Revolution, Nintendo Wii

[Mels_Smileys45]

What's in a name?



Yesterday, Nintendo rocked the gaming world announcing the final name for their long hyped up coming console. It's out with the Revolution, and in with Wii. It's caught everyone by surprise, with the forums exploding in an overabundance of toilet humour and 'Wii' punnery. With this in mind, we decided to all sit down around our metaphorical table and discuss Nintendo's latest move...

Jeremy, Contributor:


From a personal stand point, the name change is irrelevant to me. All I need to know is that it is a console from Nintendo and I know that it will satisfy my gaming needs. However, it's the others that I'm worried about. Sure, most Nintendo fans will buy it and be very happy. This may even be more so if it lives up to its innovative promises. The thing that worries me is that this name change will kill a lot of the appeal that the Revolution/Wii had in the first place. Just like the cartridges did it for the N64, and the purple colour did it for the GameCube.

Nintendo keep saying that they've learned from their mistakes but they are still shooting themselves in the foot on a regular basis. It is also another sign from Nintendo that they don't give a rats' about anything other than their own backyard. Despite being a global brand, Nintendo continue to go about their own business and rely on the world to feed off their scraps.

Simply, I think that it is a bad name because it will most likely become synonymous with another generation of damaging yet totally avoidable errors. It's not just the name but the implications and actions that follow. It may be a good move in Japan (and inadvertedly, France), where Wii is obviously much easier to roll off that Revolution. It may be a decent move for Nintendo to get a simple recognisable phrase not unlike DS ("Dee Es"). There is (arguably) a logical reason behind it, but it cannot be destined for long term success.

Perception is an important thing. With this name, now comes a new preception - and you can look in any forum to see what kind of perception has been generated in a matter of hours. Unless the last few secrets of the machine are really revelational (they may be), I cannot see how this is ment to appeal to the people who aren't already guaranteed to buy it. Yeah, the video is nice and the new icon looks good, but they feel arbitrary in the comparison to the "real" implications. I can already see myself looking three to four years down the track and finding myself in another struggle to finding games and units on shop shelves. Man, I really hope it's region free...

The N64 and GCN had some of the best games of their time. And as we can see, that's counted for little in the face of perception. We can say that iPod, Yahoo and Google are now insititutional, despite the initial apprehensions - but Wii? For every person that says grow-up, another five toilet jokes pop-up. Unfortunately, it looks like it's the true minority that will be suffering in the face of human irrationality... Again. And all because of one three letter word.


Source: http://palgn.com.au/article.php?id=4...6accfdf3b0a4f8




For Nintendo, The Glory Is In the Game
Washinton Post



It's almost a radical thought in the video game industry these days: What if a new game console were actually just about the games -- and not about having a zillion other multimedia features?

That's the question posed by Nintendo's new console, scheduled for debut later this year. The Wii -- pronounced "we" -- does not feature scorchingly advanced technology, compared with its rivals, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3. And, unlike the competition, the device does not push a DVD replacement technology or strive to be the living room's all-purpose media center.

It's almost as if Nintendo is sometimes in a different industry than Microsoft and Sony.

"Those companies really have their eyes on each other," said Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo vice president of marketing. "They want the same place in the home. We just aim to be the best at what we do -- the gaming experience."

Kaplan would not say how much the Wii will cost, except that it will be less than the competition. Microsoft's Xbox 360 costs $400. Sony has warned that the PlayStation 3, which does not yet have a price tag, will be expensive when it is released later this year. Some analysts think the price of Nintendo's device will be about $250.

Nintendo's biggest risk with the Wii may be the game controller, a radical departure from the two-handed, button-covered ones that come with most consoles. Wii players will have a motion-sensitive controller that can be used with one hand. To swing a bat or cast a fishing pole in a still-hypothetical game, players might be able to make a similar motion with their controller, rather than pushing buttons and pulling triggers.

Some analysts predict that the innovative device will allow for new kinds of games -- especially the kind that might be more light and social, a contrast to long and intense solo-player games such as Oblivion, the recent Xbox 360 hit from Bethesda Softworks. "The controller makes the box significantly more interesting than the other two consoles," said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. Game publisher THQ Inc. is developing games such as a new SpongeBob SquarePants title for the Wii. Kelly Flock, executive vice president of publishing at THQ, said the Nintendo controller inspired some of the game's action, though the SpongeBob game will be available on at least one other console.

The Wii's lower-tech profile gives it another advantage that game publishers may appreciate: Costs for developing games for the Wii could be a fraction of what it takes to develop games for the other consoles.

In an industry where game development costs are approaching $20 million for the Wii's more complex rivals, that gives the Wii a definite appeal.

"It means that people will be able to make creative risks" on games for the Wii, Flock said.

Full Story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...042802071.html

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

The new name is silii.

[shawners]

Its a good name.. ... W HHHHHHHHHHHH YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.. ??? WHY ?? Give it up to Sony Playstation to destroy the competition.

[Signa]

im not convinced its a bad choice in the name. i think they should have done better, but they *are* trying to appeal to non-gamers, like grandma and grandpa. im sure its alot more beliveable to picture a person older than gaming is, to buy a system called a "wee" instead of a "revolution." old ppl are turned off by cool sounding things all the time. just think though, "wee" for a universal game system isnt half as retarded as "iPod" is for a music box. we just dont think about it because its so damn popular.

[davetheman]

That is one lame name.

[black_magiic]

I'll probably get one :)

[lifehacker]

I have to agree the name sounds pretty retarded.

[Lehk]

the name is Fake

look at all the graphics, no trademark indicator, search TESS, no trademark registration.

there is no way in hell they would overlook the trademark before releasing the name publicly.

search for yourself if you want
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?...glish&p_d=trmk

[derekb]

According to the Nintendo website it is true:icon_scra

http://revolution.nintendo.com/

[black_magiic]

the name is Fake

look at all the graphics, no trademark indicator, search TESS, no trademark registration.

there is no way in hell they would overlook the trademark before releasing the name publicly.

search for yourself if you want
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?...ate=h13pc1.1.1

The Wii logo on their website has a tm beside it?

[mountain_rage]

Its definately the real name and logo, nintendo reps have been defending it since the annoucement. Its a pretty stupid name in terms of the current market but they are seeking to expand the video game market to everyone, kids, senior citizens, women andmen. I cant see most males aged 12-30 liking the name, however seniors, women and parents might be less intimidated by a simple name that doesnt evoke power.

[Andromedon]

I think those on here who are trying to say that nintendo is trying to appeal to the older generation are right. However, I think its a bit crazy to bypass the younger generation - lets face it, the young kids are the ones playing the games!

It just goes to show how desperate Nintendo really is. How many older folks do you know play video games? I only know 1 above the age of fourty (only 3 thirty year olds) and I've been around the video game market for years.

Nintendo had best be showering these older people with solitaire and really...and I mean really SIMPLE games that these older people can understand before subscribing to this grand idea of appealing to them. Honestly, I don't think its gonna happen. It won't last for more than two years (thats because there are still many interested nintendo players out there that will keep it afloat that long)

It will take a MAJOR REVOLUTION to make this Wii work! Nintendo should go the way of Sega and start making games for other systems. Let Sony and Microsoft duel for supremacy in the console market.

[Signa]

the name is Fake

your post is fake:icon_tong

[Lehk]

the name still isn't in TESS, though they have updated images with (TM)

[Lehk]

Let Sony and Microsoft duel for supremacy in the console market.

What if i don't want to pay or can't afford to pay $600+ for a suxbox360 or a piss3